Devil’s Head coffee is as fresh as it gets

In the past couple of years, a few small-batch coffee roasters have shot up in and around Calgary.

Places like Motherlode Coffee, Strathmore’s Loft Coffee and River Park Coffee Roasters.

Places that lack the brand-name recognition of much bigger players. Places that might have a few tables/seats or none at all, where delivery or pickup may be your only options. But places that put a premium on quality and freshness, where the “best-before” date is definitely not six vacuum-packed months down the road.

I obviously have a few busy months of sampling ahead of me. But in the meantime, I keep going back to Devil’s Head Coffee, which ticks all my boxes.

First and foremost is the excellent quality of the coffee, featuring a dozen single-origin and custom-blended beans from farms and co-ops around the world. Those beans are small-batch roasted several days a week.

Roasted on the 21st, delivered on the 25th

And Devil’s Head does what every coffee roaster should do but usually doesn’t: print the roast date right on the bags. That way you know the coffee is fresh—a critical consideration given coffee is at its tasting peak for only about a week.

I’ve been to the roastery only once (they have a little coffee bar), which is way down in industrial southeast Calgary. No matter. They deliver to every part of the city at least once a week, and it’s free if your order is $35 or more.

If I time it right, the coffee beans arrive a couple of days after I order them. And yesterday set a record; I ordered in the morning and had a parcel on my doorstep that afternoon. Beat that Amazon!

Like everything, prices have gone up a bit and now stand at about $22 or $23. But that’s for a full pound, not the three quarters or less you often see. So I figure it’s good value, especially considering the free delivery.

A couple of other things I like. If you’re shopping in person, you can bring your own bean containers and receive a discount… and reduce waste. And as a former mountaineer, I appreciate the owners’ (Chris and Tanis) climbing background in the company’s name (a recognizable peak in the Ghost Valley) and the bean offerings.

Devil’s Head Coffee
Bay 5, 5700 Barlow Trail SE, Calgary
Monday to Thursday 9 am-5 pm, Friday 9 am-4 pm. Closed weekends.
403-561-8274